question about bulbo. longissiumum

[fishmommy]

I have a bulbo. longissiumum that is blooming size.
it's in a terrarium with CF lighting.
It has never bloomed for me - what do I need to do?
I have tried giving it more light but it is already light green and the tips burned when I did try it.

do these need to be chilled to bloom?
thank you
-jen

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Yes, they need to be chilled.

Drop 10 - 20 degrees F lower than during the day. Grow cooler during the winter.

[fishmommy]

thank you

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

You're welcome. Most Bulbos need this temperature differential to bloom.

[fishmommy]

it's in a terrarium and grows like mad - guess I will have to pull it off it's mount and move it at night next winter

[Tindomul]

Good luck. I bet if you get it to bloom you will have a ton of blooms. Oh what a show!!!
How do you plan to lower the temps?
Also how often do you feed?

[fishmommy]

I feed every other day, Very dilute Dynagrow.
just today I pried it off its built-in mount and moved it to a vanda basket so I will be able to move it to a cool spot at night. I reduced its light level a bit too - the older leaves were burning at the tips.
I'm going to try to get this baby to bloom finally!

Love the super fat psuedobulbs on this plant.

[Tindomul]

You know I have a B. dearei in my vivarium and never considered the light to be the culprit for the brown tips on all the older leaves. How stupid of me. I can't move mine though because its firmly attached itself to the background. Good luck with yours!

[fishmommy]

mine was totally embedded in the background of my terrarium - I thought I couldnt' move it but some careful prying and some root breakage and it was free.
Luckily it's root ball is quite large so I think it will survive a little breakage.
Should I have done that? how serious is root breakage?

[Tindomul]

As long as most of them are ok, it should be fine. Maybe you want to treat the broken root tips with a little cinnamon to prevent infection.